Charlotte Tea Party Headquarters

While previous British taxation had ignited colonial anger, Parliament had actually reduced the tea duty. This meant the colonists would get their tea cheaper than before. So why were they upset, and why did they take such bold action? The tax reduction was Parliament’s ruse, and our Founders saw through their treachery.

The real issue wasn’t the tea or the amount of the duty; it was the precedent they established. Had the colonists accepted the reduced-duty tea they would’ve acknowledged the British right to impose taxation on an unrepresented people. Rather than surrender to that authority, the colonists forsook their pleasure to defend a basic principle. Are we ready to take such a step?

I would say that our Congress behaves much like that British Parliament, only worse. Legislators depend on sleight of hand, shady orations and outright lies to deceive a gullible population. Those tactics didn’t work on our Founding Fathers. Let them not work on us.

I became acquainted with the tea party movement via an email message. This particular message wasn’t affiliated with the various organized events, but was intriguing nonetheless. To participate you need only to mail a teabag to the White House before April 15th.

It seemed like a great idea. But then I considered the security measures put in place after 9/11. A lumpy envelope won’t reach a political staffer, much less an elected official. In fact, it may invite a domestic terrorism investigation. There’s a better way.

Why not write a letter to your representative, senators and the president? It needn’t be eloquent. A simple message—such as “courtesy of a patriotic constituent”—on your letterhead along with tags from a half-dozen teabags will suffice. When the letter is opened the tags will fall out on the staffer’s desk. Imagine the impact of millions of such letters arriving on Capital Hill.

Indeed it’s past time to remind government that our liberty is inalienable. Our rights flow from our Creator, not from the halls of Congress. Thus it is appropriate that we gather at organized tea parties. It’s essential that we stand for liberty, free market capitalism, our republic and our Constitution. Otherwise there may be nothing to stand for tomorrow. But let us not take this step tepidly or flippantly.

The Boston Tea Party was an act of revolution. No other term can do it justice. It was a poke in the eye to an unresponsive and unjust government. If today’s tea parties serve only for airing grievances, sipping tea, or making the evening news, we might as well stay home. This movement must have teeth and it must have legs.

Therefore it is imperative that we take this attitude to the ballot box. No longer can we tolerate politicians who extend their power via the federal treasury. We can’t excuse charlatans within our own parties while condemning those in the opposition. Tyranny is tyranny, be it spelled with a “D” or an “R”.

Furthermore, a brief and dying movement won’t get our ruler’s attention. It must continue. It must have life. Why not hold events and mail tea labels on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and on through Election Day, 2010?

Above all, let us hold true to the spirit that our forefathers exemplified. As long as liberty’s ember glows in us the opportunity exists to reignite freedom’s fire.